COMMON CHEMICALS AND SUPPLIES IN AND AROUND YOUR HOME Revised and updated ©2002 by David A. Katz. All rights reserved. Compiled by David A. Katz Chemist, Educator, Science Communicator and Consultant 1621 Briar Hill Road, Gladwyne, PA 19035-1204 Thomas O’Brien State University of New York at Binghamton, School of Education and Human Development P.O. Box 6000, Binghampton, NY 13902-6000 With Mass-Volume Equivalents by David Bonham New Caney Intermediate, Route 6, Box 85, New Caney, TX 77357 Mary L. Rubeck Northwest High School, 1120 N. Tyler Road, Wichita, KS 67212 G. R. Khalsa Department of Chemistry Thiel College, Greenville, PA 16125 Many schools share the problem of insufficient budgets for purchasing chemicals necessary for laboratory experiments and demonstrations. Fortunately “chemicals” are everywhere (after all, what isn’t a chemical?) and cheap supplies of many useful chemicals can be found at local stores. This compilation lists sources as grocery store, drug store, hardware store, garden supply, and photo store. Much of these classifications have changed and now include supermarkets, natural food markets, hyperstores, pharmacy superstores, and home centers. Not every store carries all these items and some may have to be special ordered. Most of these chemicals are not reagent grade chemicals, but are C.P., U.S.P., or technical grade suitable for most laboratory applications (See Grades of Purity for Chemicals, page 18). Using household chemicals not only can save money and the trouble of ordering from multiple catalogs, but it is effective in encouraging students to read the labels on products they use and thus become more “chemically literate”. In some cases, it may be necessary to determine the percent purity of the compound from the label and adjust your “recipes” accordingly. In most cases, the other ingredients will not significantly affect results. As always, pretesting your activities with proper precautions (especially eye protection) is essential for pedagogical and safety implications. Name of Chemical ———————————— acetic acid Common Name ————————————— vinegar (5% solution) acetic acid, glacial stop bath (28%) Formula ———————— CH3COOH Source ——————— grocery store photo store photo store acetone nail polish remover epoxy and fiberglass cleaner acetone CH3COCH3 drug store paint store paint store acetylsalicylic acid aspirin C9H8O4 drug store aluminum aluminum foil aluminum wire and sheet Al grocery store hardware store building supply aluminum ammonium sulfate ammonium alum AlNH4(SO4)2 drug store aluminum potassium sulfate alum KAl(SO4)2•12H2O drug store aluminum sulfate sulfate of aluminum flocculating powder Al2(SO4)3 garden supply pool store ammonia ammonia NH3 (aq) grocery store ammonium carbonate smelling salt (NH4)2CO3 drug store ammonium chloride sal ammoniac NH4Cl hardware store ammonium nitrate nitrate of ammonia NH4NO3 garden supply amylum corn starch [C6H10O5]n grocery store ascorbic acid vitamin C fruit fresh C6H8O6 drug store grocery store natural food store boric acid boric acid eyewash solution roach killer (solid) H3BO3 drug store drug store hardware store butane lighter fuel C4H10 grocery store caffeine No-Doz tablets C8H10N4O2 drug store calcium carbonate chalk limestone marble chips some antacids CaCO3 variety store garden supply ice melter road salt/deicer CaCl2 calcium chloride drug store Page 2 hardware store pool store Name of Chemical ———————————— calcium hydroxide Common Name ————————————— slaked lime some antacids Formula ———————— Ca(OH)2 Source ——————— hardware store drug store calcium hypochlorite bleaching powder chlorinating powder some mildew removers Ca(ClO)2 grocery store pool supply hardware store calcium oxide quicklime CaO hardware store calcium phosphate superphosphate Ca(H2PO4)2 garden supply calcium sulfate gypsum Plaster of Paris CaSO4 building supply hardware store school supply carbon charcoal activated charcoal graphite (powder) graphite (rod): pencil lead graphite (rod): carbon battery1 C hardware store pet store hardware store stationery store toy/electronic store carbon dioxide, solid dry ice CO2 refrigeration supply ice cream company carbonic acid soda water (seltzer) H2CO3 grocery store citric acid sour salt (limes, lemons, etc2) C6H8O7 grocery store drug store copper BB’s3, sheet, pipe, or wire Cu hardware store building supply copper sulfate copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate Bluestone algicide Root Eater CuSO4•5H2O pool supply hardware store dichlorodifluoromethane Freon-12 (may need permit) Cl2CF2 auto supply ethanol ethyl alcohol, absolute ethyl alcohol, 95% denatured alcohol ethyl rubbing alcohol, 70% to 95% CH3CH2OH liquor store liquor store paint store drug store ethylene glycol antifreeze HOCH2CH2OH auto supply hardware store 1See section on Making Materials for Experiments. 2Citric acid is the principal acid in these fruits, but cannot be obtained pure from this source. 3Some BB’s are only copper coated. Page 3 Name of Chemical ———————————— glucose Common Name ————————————— Dextrose Formula ———————— C6H12O6 Source ——————— drug store grocery store natural food store glycerol glycerin C3H8O3 drug store gold gold Au jewelry supply coin store helium helium He party shop welding supply hydrochloric acid muriatic acid masonry cleaner HCl hardware store H2 welding supply hydrogen hydrogen peroxide hydrogen peroxide, 3% Clairoxide, 20 volume (6%) hydrogen peroxide, 40 volume (12%) H2O2 drug store drug store beauty supply hypochlorous acid laundry bleach HClO grocery store C6H6O2 photo store hydroquinone iodine Tincture of iodine (dissolved in ethanol) I2 drug store iron steel wool nails Fe hardware store hardware store iron(III) chloride ferric chloride FeCl3 drug store iron (III) oxide ferric oxide rust Fe2O3 ceramic shop kerosene lamp oil CnH2n+2 gas station home store lactic acid milk acid CH3COHCOOH grocery store hardware store latex liquid rubber isoprene C5H8 hobby shop craft shop lead lead shot sinkers (fishing) Pb hardware store sporting goods store Page 4 Name of Chemical ———————————— magnesium hydroxide Common Name ————————————— Milk of Magnesia some antacids Formula ———————— Mg(OH)2 Source ——————— drug store drug store magnesium silicate Talc(um) powder Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 drug store magnesium sulfate Epsom salt MgSO4 drug store manganese dioxide black powder in C batteries4 MnO2 toy/electronic store mercury quicksilver Hg dental supply methane natural gas CH4 home gas range methanol methyl alcohol wood alcohol duplicator fluid gas dryer and antifreeze CH3OH paint store paint store office supply auto store methylene blue Methidote C16H18ClN3S veterinarian methyl salicylate oil of wintergreen C6H4(OH)COOCH3 grocery store drug store mineral oil Nujol naphthalene some Moth balls nickel nickel (Canadian, pre-1983) Ni (Note: pure nickel is magnetic) Canadian currency coin store nitrogen (liquid) liquid air N2 hospital welding/gas supply oxygen oxygen O2 drug store welding supply oxalic acid rust remover radiator cleaner HO2CCO2H hardware store auto supply paradichlorobenzene some moth balls C6H4Cl2 hardware store grocery store paraffin paraffin wax candles grocery store hardware store phenol red C19H14O5S pool supply polystyrene casting resin hobby shop drug store C10H8 4See section on Making Materials for Experiments. Page 5 hardware store grocery store Name of Chemical ———————————— polyurethane foam Common Name ————————————— Craft Cast Mountains in Minutes Insulating foam spray Formula ———————— Source ——————— hobby shop building supply potassium aluminum sulfate potassium alum alum KAl(SO4)2•12H2O photo store grocery store potassium bitartrate cream of tartar KHC4H4O6 grocery store KBr photo store KCl grocery store potassium chrome alum KCr(SO4)2•12H2O photo store potassium dichromate K2Cr2O7 photo store potassium ferricyanide K3Fe(CN)6 photo store potassium bromide potassium chloride lite salt potassium hydroxide lye caustic potash KOH grocery store hardware store potassium nitrate saltpeter KNO3 drug store potassium permanganate “Clearwater”5 (0.53% solution) KMnO4 tropical fish store propane gas barbecue fuel blow torch fuel C3H8 gas station hardware store 2-propanol isopropyl alcohol rubbing alcohol (70% and 99%) CH3CHOHCH3 drug store quinine quinine water6 C20H24N2O2*3H2O grocery store red cabbage juice red cabbage silicon dioxide sand SiO2 hardware store garden supply washed beach sand silver silver Ag coin store sodium acetate heating pad (supersaturated solution) NaC2H3O2 drug store sporting goods sodium borate borax Na2B4O7 grocery store grocery store 5Use to remove odors and cloudiness in aquariums. 6Quinine fluoresces in ultra violet light (UV). Page 6 Name of Chemical ———————————— sodium carbonate Common Name ————————————— washing soda Formula ———————— Na2CO3 Source ——————— grocery store sodium chloride table salt kosher salt pickling salt NaCl grocery store sodium hydrogen carbonate (sodium bicarbonate) baking soda NaHCO3 grocery store sodium hydrogen phosphate (sodium biphosphate) pH Down Na2HPO4 tropical fish store sodium hydrogen sulfate (sodium bisulfate) pH Down NaHSO4 pool supply sodium hydroxide lye caustic soda many drain cleaners NaOH grocery store hardware store sodium hypochlorite bleach (5% solution) mildew remover NaClO grocery store paint store sodium nitrate nitrate of soda NaNO3 garden supply sodium phosphate trisodium phosphate Na3PO4 paint store garden supply sodium silicate water glass egg preserver (40% solution) Magic Rocks Na2SiO3 Na2Si3O7 hardware store drug store toy store sodium sulfite Na2SO3 photo store sodium sulfate Na2SO4 photo store sodium thiosulfate hypo Na2S2O3 photo store stearic acid candle hardener C17H35CO2H hobby shop sucrose table sugar C12H22O11 grocery store sulfur flowers of sulfur S drug store hardware store sulfuric acid battery acid some drain cleaners H2SO4 auto store gas station hardware store tannic acid tannin C76H52O46 drug store dye/fabric store photo store Page 7 Name of Chemical ———————————— thymolphthalein Common Name ————————————— disappearing ink Formula ———————— C28H30O4 Source ——————— toy/novelty store 1,1,1-trichloroethane cleaning fluid CCl3CH3 hardware store tungsten (wolfram) light bulb filament W grocery store hardware store urea ice melter fertilizer H2NCONH2 hardware store garden supply xylene xylene C8H10 paint store zinc canister of carbon batteries Zn toy store galvanizing coating hardware store -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 8 Acid-Base Indicators and Their Color Changes Acid-Base Indicator ——————————— bromothymol blue pH of color changes ——————————— 6.0/yellow-green - 7.6/blue Source —————————— pH test kit tropical fish store litmus paper 5.5/red-pink - 8.0/blue science supply co. malachite green 0.2/yellow - 1.8/bluegreen Ich cure/tropical fish store methyl orange 3.2/red-orange - 4.4/yellow pool pH test kit phenolphthalein 8.2/colorless - 10.0/pink Ex-Lax phenol red 6.6/yellow-orange - 8.0/red pool pH test kit red cabbage (juice)7 1-3/red 4-5/rose 6-8/purple 8-11/blue 12-13/green 14/yellow grocery store thymolphthalein 9.4/colorless - 10.6/blue disappearing ink/ toy store -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7See section on Making Materials for Experiments. Page 9 THE CHEMICAL LOCATER A Cross Reference of Chemicals by Common Name Common Name ———————————— acetic acid, glacial activated charcoal alum aluminum foil aluminum wire ammonia (household) ammonium alum antacid antifreeze aspirin baking soda battery acid bleach bleaching powder blow torch Bluestone algicide borax boric acid candle hardener candles casting resin caustic potash caustic soda chalk charcoal chlorinating powder Clairoxide cleaning fluid Clearwater corn starch Craft Cast cream of tartar denatured alcohol Dextrose disappearing ink dry ice duplicator fluid egg preserver epoxy cleaner Epsom salts ethyl alcohol eyewash solution ferric chloride ferric oxide fertilizer fiberglass cleaner Chemical Name —————————————————— acetic acid carbon aluminum potassium sulfate aluminum aluminum ammonia aluminum ammonium sulfate calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, or magnesium hydroxide (check label) ethylene glycol acetylsalicylic acid sodium hydrogen carbonate sulfuric acid sodium hypochlorite, (may also be hypochlorus acid) calcium hypochlorite propane copper sulfate sodium borate boric acid stearic acid paraffin polystyrene potassium hydroxide sodium hydroxide calcium carbonate carbon calcium hypochlorite hydrogen peroxide (6%) 1,1,1-trichloroethane potassium permanganate amylum polyurethane foam potassium bitartrate ethanol glucose thymolphthalein carbon dioxide, solid methanol sodium silicate acetone magnesium sulfate ethanol boric acid iron(III) chloride iron(III) oxide urea acetone Page 10 Common Name ———————————— flocculating powder flowers of sulfur Freon-12 gas barbecue fuel gas dryer glycerin graphite (powder) graphite (rod) gypsum heating pad hypo ice melter ice melter isoprene isopropyl alcohol kosher salt lamp oil laundry bleach lead shot light bulb filament lighter fuel limestone liquid rubber lite salt lye lye Magic Rocks marble chips masonry cleaner Methidote methyl alcohol mildew remover milk acid Milk of Magnesia Moth balls moth balls Mountains in Minutes muriatic acid nail polish remover nails natural gas nitrate of ammonia nitrate of soda No-Doz tablets Nujol oil of wintergreen paraffin wax pH Down pickling salt potassium alum potassium alum Chemical Name —————————————————— aluminum sulfate sulfur dichlorodifluoromethane propane methanol glycerol carbon carbon calcium sulfate sodium acetate sodium thiosulfate calcium chloride urea latex 2-propanol sodium chloride kerosene hypochlorous acid lead tungsten (wolfram) butane calcium carbonate latex potassium chloride potassium hydroxide sodium hydroxide sodium silicate calcium carbonate hydrochloric acid methylene blue methanol sodium hypochlorite lactic acid magnesium hydroxide naphthalene paradichlorobenzene polyurethane foam hydrochloric acid acetone iron methane ammonium nitrate sodium nitrate caffeine mineral oil methyl salicylate paraffin sodium hydrogen phosphate or sodium hydrogen sulfate sodium chloride aluminum potassium sulfate potassium aluminum sulfate Page 11 Common Name Chemical Name ———————————— —————————————————— quicklime calcium oxide quicksilver mercury quinine water quinine radiator cleaner oxalic acid red cabbage red cabbage juice roach killer boric acid road salt calcium chloride Root Eater copper sulfate rubbing alcohol isopropyl alcohol (70%) rubbing alcohol 2-propanol rubbing alcohol ethanol (70%) rust iron(III) oxide rust remover oxalic acid sal ammoniac ammonium chloride saltpeter potassium nitrate sand silicon dioxide seltzer carbonic acid silver silver sinkers (fishing) lead slaked lime calcium hydroxide smelling salt ammonium carbonate soda water carbonic acid sour salt citric acid steel wool iron stop bath acetic acid (28%) sulfate of aluminum aluminum sulfate superphosphate calcium phosphate table salt sodium chloride table sugar sucrose Talc(um) powder magnesium silicate tannin tannic acid Tincture of iodine iodine (in alcohol) trisodium phosphate sodium phosphate vinegar acetic acid (5% solution) vitamin C ascorbic acid washing soda sodium carbonate water glass sodium silicate wood alcohol methanol —————————————————————————————————————————— Page 12 MEASUREMENT EQUIVALENTS FOR SCIENCE ACTIVITIES Teachers, particularly in elmentary and middle school, do not always have access to laboratory measuring devices such as graduated cylinders, volumetric glassware, balances, and thermometers. Common household devices are more readily available. Although most household measuring devices are graduated in English system units, a few will also contain metric equivalents. Since most laboratory recipes for demonstrations and activites are written using metric measurements, it is useful to have a table of common equivalents to determine amounts needed for individual or class activites. The following tables give English-English and English-metric equivalents for common kitchen measures and for temperature. Equivalents of Common Kitchen Measures Teaspoons 1 teaspoon 1 tablespoon 1 fluid ounce 1 cup 1 liquid pint 1 quart 1 milliliter 1 Liter 1 3 6 48 96 1/5 - Tablespoons Fluid ounces Cups 1/3 1 2 16 32 1/15 - 1/6 1/2 1 8 16 32 1/30 34 1/16 1/8 1 2 4 4.2 Page 13 Liquid pints Liquid quarts Milliliters Liters 1/32 1/16 1/2 1 2 2.1 1/32 1/4 1/2 1 1.06 5 15 30 237 473 946 1 1000 .03 .24 .47 .95 1/1000 1 MASS-VOLUME EQUIVALENTS OF COMMON CHEMICAL SOLIDS Volume and temperature measurements can easily be used for many materials, but when using weight measurements of solid materials there are no universal measurments. The masses of solids vary widely and a balance is needed for accurate measurements. Since accurate balances can be expensive, a cheaper alternative is knowing the approximate weight equivalents of various substances using common kitchen measuring devices. The following table lists the approximate weights of some common materials. Measuring devices vary greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer. A cup measure can vary as much as 10% between two manufacturers. There are also differences in capacities between glass, plastic, and metal measuring devices. In addition, relationships between measuring devices within a set show variations from standards. For example, in a set of measuring spoons used by the author, one tablespoon was slightly more than 3 teaspoons. Finding accurate measuring devices is not practical. Instead, when purchasing measuring devices for class use, purchase several sets from a single manufacturer to reduce variations in the class. Test all procedures and make adjustments in recipes, as needed, to allow for variations in the measuring devices. All volume measurements were made by overfilling the measuring device and leveling with a spatula. No effort was made to pack material into the measuring device. All weights were measured in grams. Ounces can calculated using an equivalent of 453.6 grams per pound. Name of Chemical Formula Form 1 tsp Mass in grams 1 Tbsp 1 cup aluminum potassium sulfate KAl(SO4)2•12H2O powder 3.6 10.8 173 aluminum sulfate Al2(SO4)3 powder 3.8 11.4 182 ammonium carbonate (NH4)2CO3 powder 3.0 9.0 144 ammonium nitrate NH4NO3 crystal 3.8 11.2 180 ascorbic acid C6H8O6 crystal 2.8 8.4 134 boric acid H3BO3 powder 4.0 12 192 calcium acetate Ca(C2H3O2)2 crystal 1.9 5.7 91.2 calcium carbonate CaCO3 powder chips 1.5 6.3 4.5 19 72 302 calcium chloride CaCl2 round mesh 4.5 13.5 216 calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2 powder 2.2 6 96 calcium oxide CaO powder 1.5 4.5 72 calcium phosphate Ca(H2PO4)2 crystal 3.9 9.0 144 calcium sulfate CaSO4 2H2O powder 1.4 4.2 67 Page 14 other Name of Chemical Formula Form 1 tsp Mass in grams 1 Tbsp 1 cup carbon (activated) C granular 2.1 6.3 131 citric acid C6H8O7*H2O crystal 3.6 10.8 - cobalt chloride CoCl2*6H2O powder 4.5 13.2 211 copper(II) chloride CuCl2•2H2O crystal 4.7 14.1 226 copper(II) sulfate CuSO4•5H2O large crystals 6.4 19.2 307 powder 2.5 7 118 flour (all purpose) glucose C6H12O6 crystals 3.5 10.5 168 iron(III) chloride FeCl3•6H2O powder 5.1 15.3 245 iron(III) nitrate Fe(NO3)3•9H2O crystals 4.6 13.7 219 lithium chloride LiCl fine crystal 4.0 1267 luminol powder 6.4 other 1/8 tsp = 0.8 g magnesium chloride MgCl2•6H2O wet crystals 3.2 9.7 155 magnesium hydroxide Mg(OH)2 fine granular 2.4 7.2 115 magnesium sulfate MgSO4•7H2O fine crystals 3.3 9.9 158 magnesium sulfate (anhy.) MgSO4 crystals 3.6 10.8 173 manganese dioxide MnO2 powder 9.25 27.8 - 1/8 tsp = 1.35 g methylene blue C16H18ClN3S powder 3.3 9.9 - 1/8 tsp = 0.4 g naphthalene C10H8 crystal 2.6 7.8 125 oxalic acid HO2CCO2H crystal 3.5 10.5 168 paradichlorobenzene C6H4Cl2 crystal 3.4 10.1 163 phenolphthalein C20H14O4 powder 1.84 - - potassium aluminum sulfate KAl(SO4)2•12H2O powder 3.6 10.8 173 potassium bitartrate KHC4H4O6 powder 2.7 8 130 Page 15 1/8 tsp = 0.23 g Name of Chemical Formula Form 1 tsp Mass in grams 1 Tbsp 1 cup potassium bromide KBr granular 6.2 18.6 298 potassium chloride KCl crystal 4.5 13.5 216 potassium chrome alum KCr(SO4)2•12H2O crystal 3.9 11.6 186 potassium dichromate K2Cr2O7 crystal 5.4 16.3 260 potassium ferricyanide K3Fe(CN)6 fine crystal 4.0 12 192 potassium ferrocyanide K4Fe(CN)6•3H2O lump, flakes 4.6 13.6 218 potassium hydroxide KOH pellets 4.5 13.5 216 potassium iodate KIO3 powder 3.3 9.8 157 potassium nitrate KNO3 crystal 5.7 17 274 potassium oxalate K2C2O4 crystal 4.2 12.6 202 potassium permanganate KMnO4 fine crystal 5.7 17.1 274 potassium sodium tartrate KNaC4H4O6•4H2O crystal 4.0 12 192 potassium thiocyanate KSCN crystal 3.5 10.5 168 sodium acetate (anhy.) NaC2H3O2 crystal 2.6 7.8 125 sodium acetate NaC2H3O2•3H2O crystal 3.8 11.4 182 sodium bicarbonate sodium hydrogen carbonate NaHCO3 powder 4.7 14.5 240 sodium bisulfite NaHSO3 crystal 5.5 16.5 264 sodium borate Na2B4O7 crystal 3.3 9.9 158 sodium carbonate Na2CO3•H2O powder 4.6 13.8 221 sodium carbonate (anhy.) Na2CO3 powder 4.7 14 225 sodium chloride NaCl crystal 6.0 18 290 sodium hydroxide NaOH pellets 4.6 13.8 221 sodium nitrate NaNO3 crystal 4.6 13.8 221 sodium phosphate Na3PO4•12H2O crystal 3.6 10.8 173 Page 16 other 1/8 tsp = 0.95 g Name of Chemical Formula Form 1 tsp Mass in grams 1 Tbsp 1 cup sodium silicate Na2SiO3 powder 4.0 12 192 sodium sulfate Na2SO4 powder 6 18 288 sodium sulfite Na2SO3 crystal 5.5 16.5 264 sodium thiosulfate Na2S2O3 crystal 3.75 11.2 180 powder 2.4 7.3 117 starch strontium chloride SrCl2•6H2O crystal 4.2 12.7 203 sucrose C12H22O11 granular 4.0 12 192 sulfur S powder 3.2 9.6 154 tannic acid C76H52O46 powder 1.27 3.81 61 thymolphthalein C28H30O4 powder 2.3 7 - urea H2NCONH2 round pellets 3.4 10.2 163 zinc Zn granular (20 mesh) 10 30 480 other 1/8 tsp = 0.2 g - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Page 17 GRADES OF PURITY FOR CHEMICALS The following is a partial listing of designations which have been generally adopted to indicate different degrees of quality and primary uses of laboratory chemicals. The grades are listed by decreasing degrees of purity. Reagent. High purity for analytical use. Bottles are often labeled to show lot analysis and/or maximum limits of impurities. ACS. Meets reagent specifications of the American Chemical Society. Chemically Pure (CP). Suitable for routine use. Lot analysis not specified. USP. Meets the specifications of the United States Pharmacopeia. NF. Meets the specifications of the National Formulary. Pharmaceutical Grade. Designates products listed in the USP and NF compendia. Practical. Principally organic compounds of medium purity often purified from technical grade. Considered suitable for most syntheses. Purified. Superior to technical grade, being free from excessive foreign matter. Suitable for most purposes except analysis. Technical, Commercial, or Industrial. laboratory use. Chemicals of ordinary commercial purity. Not refined for Most household chemicals are purified grade or better. They can be used in most experiments and activities with no adverse effects on results. Always pretest any materials in the experiment/demonstration with proper precautions. TEMPERATURE In the metric system, degrees Celsius are used rather than degrees Fahrenheit. One degree Celsius is equivalent to 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit. Celsius °C -40 -18 0 10 24 37 66 100 121 149 177 204 232 260 °C ─┼───┼──┼──┼──┼──┼───┼────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼ °F -40 Fahrenheit 0 32 Freezing point of water 50 75 98.6 Body temp. 150 212 Boiling point of water Page 18 250 300 350 400 450 500 °F MAKING MATERIALS FOR EXPERIMENTS graphite electrodes Obtain heavy pencil leads from a stationery store. Shave the wood off a lead pencil exposing the lead. Use the center electrode from a dry cell (carbon) battery (any size). iron filings Rub two pieces of steel wool together over a piece of paper to catch the small pieces. manganese dioxide Break open a dry cell battery (carbon type). The black powder is a mixture of ammonium chloride and manganese dioxide. For many applications, the powder can be used directly. To purify the manganese dioxide: Mix the black powder with water. Filter the mixture through filter paper, wash with small portions of water, and let dry. potassium hydroxide Mix wood ashes with water. Let stand overnight. Filter the solution of caustic potash. (CAUTION: This is a highly caustic solution.) To make potassium hydroxide, add calcium oxide, stir, and filter the solution. red cabbage juice Place some pieces of red cabbage in a beaker or pot, cover with water, and heat to boiling. Save the red liquid. Refrigerate it to slow spoiling. Alternate method: Place red cabbage and water in a blender. Blend the mixture. Strain into a jar and refrigerate the liquid. turmeric solution Mix some turmeric with alcohol. Save the solution. zinc Use the metal casing from a dry cell (carbon type) battery. (Note: Some batteries have iron cases. Test with a magnet.) MOLARITY OF MURIATIC ACID SOLUTIONS Muriatic acid, the commercial form of hydrochloric acid available in hardware stores, is sold with its concentration listed in percent hydrochloric acid and degrees Baume (a method of expressing specific gravity). The following table lists equivalents in Molarity (moles/liter) for use in chemical experiments. °Baume ───── 10° 11° 12° 13° 14° 15° 16° 17° 18° 19° 20° % HCl ──── 14.8 16.4 18.0 19.6 21.3 22.9 24.6 26.2 27.9 29.7 31.5 Page 19 Molarity ───── 4.4 4.9 5.4 5.9 6.5 7.0 7.6 8.1 8.7 9.3 10.0 DILUTING SOLUTIONS To dilute a concentrated solution to a lower concentration (such as a muriatic acid solution), the formulas to use are: MfVf Vi = ——— Mi and V w = Vf - V i where Mi = molarity of the initial or concentrated solution Vi = volume of initial or concentrated solution needed Mf = molarity of diluted or final solution Vf = volume of diluted or final solution Vw = volume of water needed Example: To make 100 mL of a 1.0 M solution of hydrochloric acid from 8.7 M hydrochloric acid (1.0 M) x (100 mL) Vi = ———————— = 11.5 mL hydrochloric acid solution needed (8.7 M) Vw = 100 mL - 11.5 mL = 88.5 mL water needed To make the solution, measure 88.5 mL of water into an appropriate container and add 11.5 mL of the hydrochloric acid solution. Safety note: Always add acid to water to prevent splattering from occuring. REFERENCES FOR USING AND/OR FORMULATING HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS This following is a brief list of some books that utilize household products for a wide range of activities from simple experiments to formulating household products.8 Cosmetics Cobb, Vicki, The Secret Life of Cosmetics, J. B. Lippincott, 1985. Information and experiments on soap and toothpaste, lotions and creams, fragrances, hair, and makeup. Crafts Hobson, Phyllis, Making Homemade Soaps and Candles, Garden Way Publishing 1974. 8A comprehensive list of demonstration and activity books, many of which use common chemicals, can be found in Katz, D. A., “Science Demonstrations, Experiments, and Resources”, J. Chem. Educ., 68, 235 (March, 1991). Page 20 Dyeing: Brooklyn Botanical Garden, Natural Plant Dyeing, A Handbook Kramer, Jack, Natural Dyes: Plants and Processes, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1972. Foods Cobb, Vicki, Science Experiments You Can Eat, and More Science Experiments You Can Eat, J. B. Lippincott, Harper and Row, New York, 1972 and 1979. A collection of experiments with food covering everything from acids and bases through popping popcorn to yeast. Hobson, Phyllis, Making Homemade Cheeses & Butter, Garden Way Publishing, 1973. Formula Books and Experiment Books Cobb, Vicki, The Secret Life of Hardware, J. B. Lippincott, 1982. Science experiments with cleaners, polishes, waxes, paints, rope, glue, tools, and electricity. Each section explains how things were invented and why things work. Cobb, Vicki, Chemically Active, J. B. Lippincott, New York, 1985 A collection of chemical experiments using materials found at home combined with explanations of chemical principles. Herbert, Don, Mr. Wizard’s Supermarket Science, Random House, 1980. Over 100 experiments and projects using and making household materials. Hiscox, Gardner D. (Ed), Henley’s Formulas for Home and Workshop, Crown, 1979. Originally published in 1907, and revised in 1927 and 1979, this volume contains over 10,000 scientific formulas, trade secrets, food and chemical recipes, and money saving ideas. It does contain a disclaimer about the lack of a thorough safety review, but with wise use, is a valuable reference book. Stark, Norman, The Formula Book, Volumes 1, 2, & 3, Sheed and Ward, Inc., 1975, 1976, & 1978. Recipes for making a variety of personal care and household products. Tocci, Salvatore, Chemistry Around You, Arco Publishing, Inc., 1985. Experiments and projects with everyday chemicals. Divided by sections of the house: kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, garage, and backyard. Page 21
